CHAPTER 10

I ran to the room—no, Zephyr ran to the room—slamming the door shut the moment we crossed the threshold. My body collapsed to the floor as a sudden, violent spasm wracked my chest. A black, viscous liquid began to seep from my mouth, thick and slimy, pooling around me like tar. The pain in my chest intensified with every drop that escaped. The last time I felt pain this long would be 3 years ago. Since Zephyr invaded me, all pain I ever felt would be taken. But this time, the pain wasn't taken away. My vision blurred, darkening at the edges, until finally, everything went black.

•••

"Why do I feel we're being played again?"

Damon's voice was laced with suspicion as he stood outside Allison's door alongside Vanessa. His eyes were narrowed, his brow furrowed in deep concern.

"It's happened before. This could just be another one of its tricks."

Vanessa, her face streaked with fresh tears, shook her head in desperation.

"She'll be fine. It's still Allison in there, Damon. I can't even begin to imagine all she might have gone through." Her voice cracked as she knocked gently on the door.

"Allison?" She called, her voice trembling. "Sweetheart, are you there?"

She was about to turn the handle when Damon caught her wrist, his grip firm.

"Don't" He cautioned, fear creeping into his voice. "The demon's playing tricks again. If you open that door, she'll attack you."

Vanessa's eyes blazed with defiance as she wrenched her arm free.

"She's our daughter, Damon. Nothing will happen. She came into the house herself. If we keep acting this way, when will this misery end?" Without waiting for a response, she pushed the door open, ignoring Damon's protest.

The sight that greeted them made Vanessa's breath catch in her throat. Allison lay sprawled on the floor, surrounded by the inky black substance. "Allison!"

Vanessa cried, rushing to her side. She shook her daughter's shoulders, panic rising in her chest. "Damon, call an ambulance! Now!"

Her voice was frantic, desperate. But Damon didn't move. His face was a mask of cold resolve. "She'll wake up"

He muttered, as if trying to convince himself more than her. He stepped forward, grabbing Vanessa by the shoulders and pulling her away. "It's a trick, Vanessa. The demon almost killed you four times. I won't let it even try this time."

"She's your daughter!"

Vanessa screamed, her voice raw with anguish. "What if this is a sign the demon is truly gone? What if she needs us now more than ever?"

She fought against Damon's grip, her eyes wide with terror as she looked back at Allison.

Suddenly, Allison's eyes fluttered open, but they were void of pupils, just a haunting white.

"Water..." Allison's lips barely moved, the word a faint whisper as her eyes rolled back and closed again. Vanessa's heart lurched, and she struggled against Damon's hold.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked, shoving him aside with more force than she knew she possessed.

She bolted down the stairs, nearly tripping in her haste to get the water. Damon could only watch helplessly, torn between his fear and his love for his daughter. Vanessa returned moments later, clutching a glass of water with trembling hands. Damon tried to stop her from reaching Allison, but Vanessa shot him a glare that froze him in his tracks.

"The water is here" she whispered, her voice soft but determined. She gently tilted the glass to Allison's lips. Allison drank greedily, the water disappearing almost instantly as she gulped it down. Then, with a sigh, she collapsed against Vanessa, her head resting on her mother's lap.

•••

"What game are you playing with my parents?" I demanded, my thoughts seething with rage.

"You must not dare hurt them" I said referring to my collapse earlier.

Zephyr's voice slithered through my consciousness, a dark chuckle accompanying his words.

"Technically, I collapsed" He corrected with a smug tone that made me want to scream. His voice echoed in my skull, each word pounding against my brain like a hammer.

I clutched my head, hoping to dull the pain, but it only intensified.

"What happened?" Mom's worried voice pierced through my haze. Her eyes were filled with a depth of concern that twisted my heart into knots. It hurt to see them like this, more than any physical pain could. But I couldn't feel that pain—only Zephyr could make me feel anything at all.

"It's nothing" I forced a smile, trying to reassure her, though the words felt hollow.

"Just a little exhausted."

"Let's get you to the hospital" Mom suggested, her voice brimming with maternal concern.

Zephyr's sneering laughter echoed in my head before I could even open my mouth.

"Bad idea" he sneered.

"That's what you should tell her"

I could feel the pressure of his influence weighing on me.

"No, Mom, I'll be alright"

I said, forcing a lightness into my voice that I didn't feel.

"A little rest is all I need." She nodded reluctantly, but Dad just stared at me, his eyes dark with suspicion.

"Okay" Mom finally relented, wiping the tears from her face as she tried to compose herself.

"I'll get a warm bath ready for you, and then you can rest, alright?" She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Damon" she called to my dad, who moved toward me with hesitation. Dad lifted me from the floor, and I felt a wave of exhaustion crash over me. My limbs were heavy, my body unwilling to respond.

"Technically, I'm the one who can't stand," Zephyr said to me and from the sound of it, he was honest. However, my head throbbed as he said that. Dad placed me gently on the bed, and I caught a glimpse of Mom cleaning up the black substance that had oozed from me earlier.

•••

Mom was a whirlwind of care and concern, helping me into clean clothes, feeding me spoonfuls of food, and even gave me some pills. She refused to leave my side, hovering over me like I might disappear if she looked away. Zephyr was eerily silent during all of this, and for a fleeting moment, I dared to hope that he had left. But as soon as Mom was gone—after much persuading from me—Zephyr's declaration filled my head.

"I can't live like this" He declared, though this time, his voice was devoid of the usual malice. Strangely, it didn't make my head hurt.

"Then leave" I shot back, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and exhaustion. I knew he couldn't hurt me directly or physically, so I could yell at him as much as I want to.

The incident with his brother… That reminded me…

"What did Valtor mean about you being stuck, stuck where?" I asked cautiously.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Arachna" Zephyr responded, his voice suddenly soft, almost tender. It unnerved me.

"Good night." And with that, silence fell over my mind once more, leaving me in a quiet that was almost more terrifying than his voice.

I lay there on the bed, fear curling around my heart as I drifted off to sleep, wondering what Valtor meant about Zephyr being stuck. What are they hiding?